


Finding a Home

by Quinnion



Series: Next Time Around [2]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Adoption, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Angst with a Happy Ending, Birthday Party, Crying, Everyone remembers their past lives, Fluff, M/M, Muteness, Past Child Abuse, Scars, Therapy, elective mutism, heavy description of abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-14
Updated: 2016-10-29
Packaged: 2018-08-20 03:05:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,337
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8233916
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quinnion/pseuds/Quinnion
Summary: It's been four years since Eren and Levi reunited in the modern world and now they've moved in together and settled in a blissful, domestic life. Although Eren loves Levi with all his heart he still feels as if something is missing in his life. He finds himself wishing to adopt a child but hides his dream from Levi, afraid how he'll react. Eren manages to keep his secret for a few months but eventually Levi is bound to find out.(Updating every Friday)





	1. Getting Caught

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! This is a sequel to Next Time Around and even though you don't need to read the previous one to understand this fic, I would suggest that you do to fully appreciate it. I would like to thank L_Ryuzaki24 for giving me the idea for this fic and I hope you like what I came up with! I'll be updated every Friday if I can, I hope you enjoy it!

Eren swings the door open to the apartment he’s been sharing with Levi for three years. He takes off his jacket and hangs it on the door near the door before toeing off his shoes. Eren sighs in relief and immediately plops down on the couch after a long day of work. He tilts his head back and rests it on the top of the couch. He relaxes there for a moment before taking his laptop off of the coffee table and setting it down on his lap.

He opens up the laptop and logs in, quickly going onto google chrome. Eren hums softly as he looks through the tabs he was on earlier in the day. He looks through guides of how to go about adopting children and is soon deep into his research once again. He types in all the information he needs into a word document which he’s been working on for a few weeks already.

Eren’s always wanted kids and now that he’s older and in a stable relationship he’s been thinking about it more often than not. He still hasn’t brought up the subject to Levi since he’s not sure his partner even likes kids; he doesn’t seem like the type of person to like them anyways. So Eren’s kept this secret from him for a while and has been doing research on his own time.

Eren is so deep in thought as he types furiously he doesn’t notice Levi going into the living room from his bedroom and walking up to Eren. Levi tilts his head slightly and leans forward to get a better look at what he’s doing on his laptop.

“Adoption?” he asks suddenly. Eren’s whole body jolts and he quickly shut the laptop but of course it’s too late. Eren looks back at Levi and smiles nervously.

“H-hey babe. I didn’t see you there” he says, his voice shaky. Levi stands up straight and crosses his arms slightly.

“Why are you researching on adoption?” he asks as he makes his way around the couch and sits down next to Eren.

Eren sighs shakily and looks down at his hands “I ah...I guess I want to adopt” he mutters. Before Levi can respond he looks up at the man and takes his hand “Look, I really want kids. And I didn’t tell you this because I wasn’t sure if you would be okay with it so I’ve been doing research on my own” he explains.

Levi raises his brow and nods slowly “Okay” he says simply, still processing everything “I also want kids but I never said anything because I’m wasn’t sure if you were ready or not. I mean, you are only twenty six Eren.”

Eren smiles at that and shakes his head “Twenty six isn’t that young. And anyways, I feel ready to do this” he says “As long as you are.” Levi nods a bit and wraps his arms around Eren’s waist, pulling him closer.

“I am” he replies. Eren can’t help squeal happily and pecks Levi’s lips “Alright, now show me your research” he says. Eren nods and opens up the laptop again, he shows Levi all the information he’s accumulated and starts explaining how the process works. Levi plays with Eren’s hair while he explains and smiles up at him as he listens. 

_____________________________________________________

 

About six months later the couple has finally filled about the necessary forms, provided all the payments and waited long enough to be able to finally meet the child they are considering to adopt. If the meeting goes well they will finalize everything and finally adopt their child, although it will take a while before they get to take him home.

“Come on Levi! We’re going to be late!” Eren shouts across the apartment as he quickly puts on his shoes, fumbling with the laces. Levi walks out of their bedroom and puts on his jacket.

“It’ll be fine Eren, we’re on time” he reassures him, knowing his boyfriend is anxious to get there. Eren stands up quickly once he’s done and leads Levi outside.

Eren fidgets with his fingers and bounces his knee the whole car ride, almost driving Levi insane. They arrive a bit early and walk into the orphanage. Eren frowns slightly at the conditions; the building doesn’t seem to be heated very well and the paint on the walls is chipping. Levi grimaces at the layer of dust on the floors but quickly puts on a smile when a woman approaches them.

“Hello! Mr. Jaeger and Mr. Ackerman. I’m Amy!” she says a bit too cheerfully as he holds out her hand. They both shake it quickly and greet her politely.

“Well let’s get right to it then. Nico is in the playroom and you’ll have about thirty minutes or so to talk to him” she says as she leads the couple down the dimly lit hallway.

She glances back at them and sighs softly “I do have to tell you though that he’s very shy and doesn’t really talk much to strangers. So don’t worry if that happens, it took him a few weeks to talk to me when I started working here” she explains.

Amy stops at the end of the hallway and leads them into the room. Eren looks around and hums softly; he didn’t expect much from the playroom considering the conditions of the building. It’s a bit cleaner and has some tables and chairs along with a couple boxes filled with toys. There’s only one child in the room and he’s sitting cross-legged on the alphabet carpet, calming playing with a small train set.

Levi smiles when he sees the boy and Amy signals them to stay behind for a moment before she approaches him. She crouches down in front of him and gently explains that a couple interested in adopting him is here to see him. Nico looks up at her with wide, pale blue and nods a bit.

Amy straightens up and gestures for the couple to come over to them. She steps back as Eren and Levi make there way over to him. Eren slowly sits down next to him and pulls Levi down along with him.

“Hello Nico. I’m Eren and this is my boyfriend, Levi” he says as he turns to look at Levi. Nico glances up and them and nods just as he did with Amy. Eren frowns slightly but quickly recovers from the child’s refusal to talk to him.

Eren turns his attention to the train in front of him “Is that yours?” he asks. The boy shakes his head. “Oh okay…do you like playing with it?” he asks.

Nico smiles faintly and keeps moving it around slowly, pushing a button that makes a weak choo-choo noise. Eren chuckles softly and smiles “That’s a really nice toy. Have you even been in a real train before?” he asks.

Nico shakes his head and stops playing for a moment. “Would you like to?” Eren asks. The four-year old looks up at Eren, a gleam of excitement in his eyes. Eren smiles softly “Well maybe one day, if come home with us, we can go on a real train” he says.

Nico nods and maintains eye contact for a moment before he does back to playing with the train. Levi decides to interject and make Nico comfortable with him as well “Hey uh…we brought you something” he says, holding a plastic bag out to Nico. 

The boy looks up at him and wide eyes and turns his attention to the plastic bag. He takes it hesitantly and looks inside, pulling out a small box wrapped with colorful paper. Nico gently unwraps the gift, peeling away the tape and making sure he doesn’t ripe the paper. He gasps when he opens the box to reveal a small toy truck. He takes it out and inspects it, smiling happily.

Nico looks up at Levi and opens his mouth as if he’s about to say something but then closes it again. He leans forward and wraps his arms around Levi as much as he can. Levi grins and pats Nico’s back gently before the boy pulls away and starts playing with the new toy.

“Do you like it?” Levi asks. Nico nods in response and hums softly as he makes the trunk move around. Eren takes Levi’s hand and laces their fingers together, taking a deep breath before he specks.

“Nico…we would like to know if you want us to adopt you” he says gently. Nico stops playing for a moment and pauses to think before he nods quickly. Eren lets out a quiet sigh of relief and smiles “That’s good. We need to go now but we’ll visit you again soon, okay?”

Nico smiles and nods a bit, giving a small wave to the couple. Eren and Levi wave back and get up; they walk out of the room and Amy closes the door behind them.

She turns toward them and smiles “I know you’ll probably need to talk between the two of you about the final decision but once you decide whether you want to adopt Nico or would like to consider other children, please call me and let me know so we can quickly get to the next step in the process.”

Levi nods and shakes her hand “Of course. Thank you so much for your help.” They say goodbye and leave the building, getting back in their car. Eren buckles his seatbelt as Levi pulls out of the driveway and heads back home.

They sit in silence for a few minutes, each of them processing everything, before Levi breaks the silence.

“So, what did you think of Nico?”

Eren sighs softly and smiles “I really like him. He’s such a sweet kid and I feel like he deserves so much more in life” he mutters “What about you?”

“I feel the same way. I want to adopt him but…do you think he’ll even talk?” he asks, worried about how the child will communicate with them.

Eren frowns slightly “I was thinking about that too” he pauses “But I’m sure when he gets comfortable with us he’ll start talking. And then there’s always sign language.”

Levi nods a bit and glances at Eren “Are you completely positive he’s the one?”

Eren chuckles at the way he phrased that and nods “Yes, I’m sure” he says firmly.

“Alright. I’ll send the email when we get home” Levi replies, both of them smiling for the rest of the day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a kudos if you enjoyed it and comment too if you want!
> 
> I'll post chapter 2 next Friday (10/21)


	2. Coming Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico finally comes home with Levi and Eren.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! So this is chapter two and I'm sorry it's short but I promise the ones after this are gonna be longer; I've written all but two of the chapters anyways. I hope you like it!

Three months pass very quickly and the couple return to the orphanage at least once a week to talk with Nico; although he doesn’t talk back. Now they’re back in the car, driving to the orphanage for the last time. They came prepared with a car seat in the back as well as a couple of toys and some snacks just in case.

Levi pulls up in front of the orphanage and smiles at Eren in the seat next to him. He gets out and opens the passenger door for Eren. Levi takes his hand and laces their fingers together as he gets out. Eren kisses his cheek gently and sighs shakily.

“Ready?” the older man asks. Eren nods in response and they make their way into the building. Amy is there to greet them like she’s always been for these past few months. Levi can’t help distrust her; her attitude seems to happy to be real, but he has no choice but to be friendly with her.

She instructs them to wait before she disappears down the hallway. They sit down as they wait and Levi bounces his legs nervously. Eren smiles and places his hand on Levi’s thigh, getting his leg to stop moving while he rubs the fabric of his jeans gently. Levi looks at him tenderly and relaxes slowly, leaning against Eren as close as he can with armrests of the chairs between them.

Amy comes back, followed by Nico who’s carrying a backpack almost half his size; he struggles with it a bit. He looks up at the couple and smiles faintly. Levi stands up and immediately takes the backpack from Nico so he doesn’t have to hold it. Eren says hello to Nico and chats with him while Levi signs the last of the paperwork.

“Are you ready to come home?” Eren asks gently as he looks down at Nico, offering his hand. The boy nods a bit and takes Eren’s hand, his smaller fingers curling around Eren’s. They all say goodbye to Amy and walk out the building, walking to the car silently.

Eren opens the car door to the back seats and lifts Nico up, making sure to be gentle. He sets him down in the car seat and buckles him up.

“It’s not too long of a ride but there’s toys and some snacks if you want them” he says, gesturing towards them. Nico nods a bit and takes one of the toys, playing with it curiously. Eren smiles and closes the car door before getting in the passenger seat. 

They don’t day much the ride home and Eren realizes the first few days after Nico moves in will be awkward for everyone since they’re still getting to know him. Eren glances back at the boy every once in awhile and smiles as he plays with the toys contently.

Once they arrive Levi gets out of the car and carries Nico’s backpack while Eren unbuckles him from the car seat and lifts him up, setting him down in the ground. Nico walks along side them as they lead him into the house.

Nico looks around curiously and takes off his shoes when he sees Eren and Levi do it. He walks around slowly, his small feet padding against the floor. Nico feels slightly overwhelmed by the beautiful house and the realization that he’ll be living here.

Levi clears his throat and interrupts Nico’s trance “Would you like to see your room?” he asks. Nico nods quickly and follows them down the hallway. Levi opens the door to his room and shows him inside.

Nico gasps sharply as he enters his bedroom. It’s an open area with large windows that let in a lot of light; it illuminates the colorful cabinets and desk as well as the comfy looking bed covered in a space themed blanket and pillow. Nico walks inside slowly and takes in the sight; his eyes are drawn to the large chest filled with all kinds of toys. He feels a few tears build up in his eyes and refuses to let them fall.

Nico turns around and hugs Levi’s legs. He gasps a bit when the child hugs him but he quickly crouches down to wrap his arms around him properly. Nico moves onto Eren and embraces in as well. He pulls away and rushes off to explore his room.

Eren and Levi stand up again and slowly intertwine their fingers, squeezing each other’s hands. Eren leans against his boyfriend and kisses his cheek gently, turning to watch Nico explore his room for a while before he goes off to cook dinner for his new family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a kudos if you enjoyed it and comment too if you want!
> 
> I'll post chapter 3 next Friday (10/28)


	3. First Words

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico finally overcomes his mutism and Eren and Levi are very proud.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Sorry that this chapter is one day late but my wifi went down. I hope you enjoy!

It’s been a week since Nico moved in with Eren and Levi and he still hasn't’ talked. The child communicates by nodding and shaking his head as well as gestures but that’s not enough to form a strong relationship with him. Eren and Levi get increasingly worried as the days pass although they don’t really talk about it.

Eren combs his fingers through Nico’s pitch black hair as the boy slowly falls asleep, laying across his lap. Eren rests his head against Levi’s shoulder as the credits of the Disney movie they were watching roll down the screen. 

Eren looks down at Nico and sighs shakily “Levi?” he says quietly, not wanting to wake their child. 

Levi turns to look at him “Yes?” 

“When do you think Nico is going to start talking?” he asks. Levi frowns slightly and glances down; he sighs softly and leans back against the couch. 

“I don’t know.”

“Should we talk to him about it? Maybe ask him why he doesn’t talk?” Eren questions. Levi closes his eyes and thinks for a moment before he shakes his head.

“No” he says “I think he needs to do this at his own pace and we shouldn’t make him feel weird about it. Nico will talk when he’s ready.”

Eren smiles and kisses his cheek “You’re such a good father Levi” he says gently. 

Levi opens his eyes and hums contently “Thank you...I never thought I would hear those words.”

Eren hums softly and kisses Levis cheek, knowing the man has always has father issues since he never knew his biological father and his uncle was…Well he was complicated. For Levi, having confirmation that he’s a good father means a lot to him.

Eren cups his face and pecks his lips gently; they share the quick kiss before Eren stands up and carries Nico back to his bedroom. Eren pulls back the covers and gentle sets the child down onto the mattress, arranging his limbs into a more comfortable position. 

He pulls the blanket back up and covers Nico’s body, tucking him in carefully. Eren smiles down at him gently and leans forward, pressing lips against his forehead “Good night” he whispers. Eren turns off the light and leaves the room, closing the door slowly so it doesn’t make any noise.

_____________________________________________________

 

Levi and Eren discover Nico’s interest in books when they notice he prefers to look through children’s stories from his bookshelf than play with the toys they got him. After dinner one day Nico is relaxing in his room flipping through one of the books before bedtime. Eren and Levi walk in and smile.

Eren kneels down in front of him “Hey Nico, do you want us to read to you before you go to bed?” he asks.

Nico smiles and nods eagerly, holding out the book to Eren. They all squeeze onto Nico’s small bed with the child sandwiched between the two of them. Eren opens the book and starts to read from the beginning. He changes his voice to act out the characters and Levi joins as well. Nico giggles when his parents use silly voices for the characters.

Nico slowly gets sleeping as Eren continues to read the story. By the time he’s done the boy struggles to keep his eyes open. Eren and Levi get off of Nico’s bed and cover him in the blanket, tucking him in. Eren kisses his forehead “Good night.”

Nico looks up at him and smiles “…Good night” he says, his voice sweet and quite; the words are barely audible. Levi’s eyes widen when he hears Nico speak and Eren holds in a gasp.

They both grin and Eren turns off the light before they leave the room. Once the door is closed they immediately hug each other, Eren clinging onto his partner as he feels his eyes get watery “He talked” he whispers.

Levi nods against his shoulder and threads his fingers through his hair “I’m so proud of him…His first words.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a kudos if you enjoyed it and comment too if you want!
> 
> I'll post chapter 4 next Friday (11/4)


	4. Scars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren accidently walks in on Nico in the bathroom and he sees something he really shouldn't have.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update but here is chapter 4! Hope you enjoy!

Eren closes the door to the bathroom and once he hears the water start running he leaves. Nico always insists to wash himself and although Eren is always cautious to check on him to make sure he’s okay he gives him the privacy he wants. As Eren walks down the hallway to cook dinner he realizes he forgot to give Nico his pajamas to change into. He turns on his heel and goes to Nico’s room.

Eren picks out a baby blue set of pajamas and heads back to the bathroom. He knocks on the door lightly and waits a few seconds. He doesn’t hear a reply so he opens the door and walks inside.

“Hey Nico, I’m just bringing you your p-” he cuts himself when his eyes lock onto Nico’s back. The boy gasps and quickly turns around but it’s already too late. Eren slaps his hand over his mouth when he sees the scars on Nico’s back. Long, faded gashes litter his back, stretching all the way from his shoulder blades to his lower back. The scars are about half and inch thick and it’s obvious they were made from a belt or a whip of some sort.

Eren feels his stomach sink and before he can respond Nico starts screaming, “Get out! GET OUT!” he yells at the top of his lungs, tears streaming down his face. Nico curls into a tight ball and sobs loudly, his face a mess of tears and snot “Don’t look at me! Get out!”

Eren takes a few second to process everything before he quickly leaves and shuts the door behind him. He leans against the wall and breathes heavily as he wipes his face, his eyes getting watery.

He looks up to see Levi running down the hallway “What’s wrong? What happened?” he asks worriedly.

Eren shakes his head and covers his face with his hands “H-he…He” he stutters out. Levi takes his hands down and squeezes them gently.

Eren sighs shakily and sniffles “Oh god Levi, it’s so horrible” he whispers, his voice strained “He has these lashes on his back, so many of them.”

Levi furrows his brow and swallows thickly; he can still hear Nico’s sobbing through the door. Levi cups Eren’s face and wipes away the tears rolling down his cheeks “Hey it’s okay. Let’s talk to him, alright?” he says gently, trying to calm Eren down, as well as himself.

Eren presses his lips together in a thin line and nods quickly. He knocks on the door “Hey Nico?” he asks. No reply. He knocks again “Can we come in?”

“Not yet…give me a minute,” Nico replies in a small muffled voice. Levi sighs in relief and leans against the door, waiting with Eren.

It seems like an eternity for them until Nico speaks up again “Okay. You can come in.” Eren immediately opens the door and walks inside with Levi. Nico is curled up at one end of the bath, his knees tucking against his chest and his back facing the shower wall. Nico hangs his head slightly, a few stands of his hair hanging in his face.

Eren approaches him and crouches down in front of the bath. He reaches out and brushes Nico’s hair behind his ears “Listen Nico…I’m sorry I barged in on you like that and invaded your privacy” he says gently “But I need you to tell me about those scars.”

Nico bites the inside of his cheek hard and sighs shakily “They’re from people at the orphanage” he whispers, his voice barely audible. Levi tightens his hold on Eren’s hand and exhales shakily.

“Who made them?” Levi asks.

Nico frowns deeply “A few people who worked there and looked after some of us…They would hit us and whip us with a belt if we did something wrong” he explains.

Eren feels tears build up in his eyes but he holds them back, for Nico’s sake. He reaches out and takes his small hand, squeezing reassuringly “I’m sorry you had to go through that Nico and what they did was wrong. You don’t have to be afraid anymore. We’ll protect you.”

Levi nods along with Eren and sighs as he remembers all those times Nico tensed up and winced when he made a mistake; that all makes so much more sense now. The child looks up at his parents and smiles weakly “Thank you” he says.

Eren returns the smile and ruffles his hair “You’re such a good kid. Well we’ll leave you to finish your bath now” he says as he stands up. Nico nods a bit and smiles weakly as they get up and leave the room. The child slowly uncurls his body and finishes his bath, scrubbing at his skin thoroughly.

Eren and Levi wait for him to finish and pick out a Disney movie to watch together, which they do every Friday. Nico comes out of the bathroom dressed in his pajamas and waddles over to the couch. He climbs on and settles himself between Eren and Levi, sandwiched between their warm bodies.

Once Nico is comfortable Levi pressed play and sets down the remote. Eren wraps his arms around Nico and holds him close, the child cuddling against his chest as he watches the screen. Levi smiles and joins the embrace as well, holding his family as close as he can. With his parents on either side of him, Nico relaxes and feels his chest swell up with joy, a sensation he isn’t too familiar with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a kudos if you enjoyed it and comment too if you want!
> 
> I'll post chapter 5 next Friday (11/11)


	5. Therapy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that Eren and Levi know what Nico suffered through they have to talk about it and help him recover.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I know some of my chapters have been really short so here is long one :D

It’s been a couple of days since Eren walked in on Nico in the bathroom and saw his scars and Levi and Eren have yet to talk about the incident. They both know that the topic is going to come up some time but neither of them want to initiate the conversation, hoping that if they ignore it it’ll just go away; but of course, that’s never the case. 

Levi couldn’t ignore what had happened anymore when he caught Nico by surprise while the child was reading and touched his shoulder. Nico’s whole body jumped and he winces; the touch obviously brought back bad memories. Levi hugged Nico and tried his best to comfort him but he knew something had to be done.

After tucking Nico in that same day, he joins Eren on the couch and sighs as he plops down next to him. Levi takes his hand and laces their fingers together. They watch the television for a while longer before Levi specks up. 

“I think we need to talk about what happened” he says firmly, knowing they both know what he’s referring to.

Eren sighs shakily and nods a bit “I know” he whispers, his eyes getting watery “I just don’t know how to help him.”

Levi twists his body to face Eren and cups his face “Of course you don’t Eren. We can’t do this on our own” he says “I think we should send him to therapy.”

Eren furrows his brow and looks up at him hesitantly “Are you sure? I mean...I don’t know I feel about him talking to a stranger about such personal stuff” he explains “I don’t know if I could trust someone I don’t know with our child.”

Levi nods quickly and squeezes his hand “I totally understand that Eren but I was thinking he could see Petra since she got her PhD in psychology. She’s been working with kids for a year now and we know her so...I think it could work out.”

Eren smiles weakly and nods, wiping his face “Okay, that could work. Maybe we could see her for one session and then see how it goes?”

Levi kisses his forehead “That’s fine. I’ll call her later” he says. He wraps his arms around Eren and pulls him close. Eren nuzzles his face into the crook of Levi’s neck and tangled their legs together. He sighs contently and slowly relaxes in Levi’s arms. 

_____________________________________________________

 

Eren finishes the last sentence of the children’s book and closes it, setting it down on Nico’s nightstand. He looks down at the sleepy child and sighs, glancing up at Levi.

“Nico?” he says, once the child looks up at him he continues “Before you go sleep Levi and I would like to talk to you about something.”

Nico tilts his head slightly and nods slowly, knowing this can’t be good. “Well...We just thought because of everything you went through at the orphanage that maybe it would be good for you to talk to someone about it.”

Nico presses his lips together and looks down “I’m not sure if I want to talk to anyone about it” he mutters.

Eren exhales deeply and nods “I know honey but I think it would be good for you” he says. Eren looks down at Nico and can tell he’s still hesitant about all this “How about we go see her once and if you don’t want to go again you don’t have to, okay?” 

Nico thinks for a moment before replying “...Okay, I guess that’s fine.” 

Eren smiles weakly and kisses his forehead “We’ll go in a week” he says “But for now just relax and enjoy yourself.”

Nico smiles up at him and curls up under the covers. Eren scoots off the bed and tucks Nico on “Good night” he says before he turns off the lamp. 

As Eren walks to the door, Nico mutters a quiet ‘good night’ and Eren smiles. He leads Levi out of the room and closes the door carefully.

_____________________________________________________

 

The morning before Nico’s first therapy session was particularly tense; they only exchanged a few words between the three of them during breakfast. Eren helps Nico get dressed while Levi gets ready in the bathroom. He hums softly as he kneels in front of Nico, who’s sitting on the couch, and puts on his small shoes, trying them for him as well. Eren picks Nico and holds him with one arm, his short legs on either side of Eren’s waist.

Eren takes his coat just as Levi comes out of the bathroom and goes to put on his shoes. Once he’s done Eren looks down at him “Ready?” he asks. Levi nods in reply and opens the door for the two of them. Eren sets Nico down in the car seat and buckles him up, kissing his cheek before he closes the door and gets in the passenger seat.

Levi starts the car and pulls out of the driveway; he turns on the radio to try and make the silence between them less noticeable. Each of them is nervous for this session and hopefully it’ll go over well.

They arrive at the giant office building in about ten minutes and Levi finds a spot near the entrance. Eren takes Nico out of the car and sets him down; he holds his hand as they walk into the building together.

They head up to the right floor and Nico can’t help smile when he enters the waiting room for the Adolescent Psychiatric and Therapy Center; the floor and walls are colorful and there are toys scattered all over the place. Nico tugs on Eren’s hand and leads him to the dollhouse while Levi checks them in at the reception. 

Eren follows his son and sits down next to him in front of the dollhouse. Nico smiles as he starts arranging the tiny furniture in the house; he hands Eren a few items to hold and then takes them back, putting them in the house carefully. By the time Nico is satisfied with the way he’s organized the house Levi is sitting next to them as well. 

Levi smiles softly “You did a very nice job Nico” he praises. 

The child blushes and nods a bit “Thank you” he mumbles. Eren looks up to see Petra walking over to them. He clears his throat to alert Levi and stands up.

Petra smiles at the two of them “Hello, it’s good to see you two again” she says cheerfully, looking down at Nico who’s still playing “Can you introduce us?”

Levi nods and crouches down next to Nico “Honey, this is Petra” he says gently. Nico looks up at the women as she sits on her knees next to him.

Nico looks away quickly and keeps his gaze down “H-hello” he whispers shyly. 

Petra smiles softly at him “Hello Nico. What are you doing there?” she asks, turning her attention to the dollhouse.

“Playing with the dollhouse” he says simply, shifting his weight nervously.

“Can you show me around the house? I haven’t really seen it before.”

Nico nods and starts at the bottom floor, pointing to each rooms as he describes it “This is the living room and the mom is watching TV” he explains “and then there’s the dining room and I set out all the plates for dinnertime and then the kitchen where dad is cooking and then upstairs the kids are playing in their rooms.”

Petra smiles at that “That’s very nice Nico. Did you organize all of this?”

Nico blushes lightly and nods “Yes, I did.”

“Well I really like it” she comments “I have more toys in my office. Would you like to come with me and play with them?”

Nico nods and stands up “Okay.”

“Levi and Eren will come join us later” she says as she leads Nico down a hallway to her office. Eren sighs softly as he watches them leave and sits down on a couch near the dollhouse with Levi.

Petra brings Nico to her office and gestures for him to sit down on the fluffy couch across from her desk chair. She sits down as Nico climbs on the couch; his attention immediately turns to the toys on the coffee table between them.

While Petra gets out a notebook and a pen, he takes a stuffed animal from the table and starts playing with it. Petra sighs softly and smiles “Do you like that toy?”

Nico nods “Yes, it reminds me of a toy Eren and Levi got me” he says. Petra tilts her head slightly and quickly notes down that he calls his adoptive parents by their first names.

“Do you like Eren and Levi?”

Nico smiles at that “Yes, they’re very nice to me. I like living with them and I like my room too.” 

“What about where you lived before?” she asks cautiously, knowing they’re getting to more sensitive topics. 

Nico suddenly stops playing with the toy for a moment and frowns “The orphanage” he mutters “I didn’t like it there.”

“Why didn’t you like it there?”

Nico squirms slightly on the couch “The people weren’t nice and I was always hungry and cold.”

Petra frowns slightly and quickly notes that down “What were the people like?”

“They were mean...The kids would steal my food and tease me” he mutters as he holds onto the stuffed animal tightly.

“What about the adults? Were they like that too?”

Nico nods slowly and whimpers “Yeah” he replies “They didn’t like any of us...They would punish us a lot when we did things wrong.”

Petra continues to write what Nico tells her “I know you probably don’t want to talk about this but what kind of punishments? And what did you do wrong?”

Nico furrows his brow and curls in on himself “They would hit us with their hands or somethings a belt or whip” he whispers, his words barely audible “They’d do that if we talked too much or if we were too loud or sometimes I didn’t know what I did wrong. They’d just do it.”

Petra sighs shakily and frowns “Do you think what you did was wrong?” She frowns slightly when Nico nods “Honey, what you did wasn’t wrong. They shouldn’t have hurt you.” Nico looks up at her and opens his mouth to protest but she continues “I know you might think what you did was wrong but being loud and talking is just part of being a kid.”

Nico furrows his brow and looks down at the ground, struggling to understand what Petra is saying. She puts down her notebook and smiles “Would you like Eren and Levi to come in now?”

Nico nods quickly and Petra gets up from her chair. She heads out into the waiting room and the couple immediately stands up. She leads them into the office and they sit on either side of Nico. 

Levi smiles down at him and wraps one arm around him; it’s pretty obvious the child is upset so he tries his best to comfort him.

Petra sits back down and sighs softly “So, we got through some stuff today and I think it would be good for Nico to see me once a week, but of course that’s up to you to decide.”

Eren looks at Nico and pets his hair gently “Would you be okay with that? To see Petra every week?”

Nico thinks for a moment before he nods silently, still processing what Petra had said. She smiles and relaxes in her chair “Alright, so we’ll mostly be working on building Nico’s self esteem and helping him get through his trauma.”

Levi nods and takes Eren’s hand, squeezing gently “Sounds good Petra, we’ll see you next week.”

Levi picks Nico up and holds him against his chest. He stands up and walks out of the office with Eren. They exit the building and head to the car. Levi buckles Nico into his car seat and leans forward, kissing his forehead as he hugs the child “I’m so proud of you” he whispers.

Nico holds in a gasp and slowly returns the embrace, pressing his face against Levi’s shoulder “Thank you Papa” he mutters, his words muffled by his shirt.

Levi inhales sharply when Nico calls him that and grins. He glances at Eren, who’s sitting in the passenger seat, and sees him holding his hand over his mouth with tears building up in his eyes.

Levi pulls away after a moment “I love you kiddo” he says happily as he brushes a strand of Nico’s hair out of his face.

“Love you too,” the child mumbles. Levi grins at him and closes the car door before he gets into the driver’s seat and drives home, feeling hopefully about their future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a kudos if you enjoyed it and comment too if you want!
> 
> I'll post chapter 6 next Friday (11/18)


	6. Surprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico's birthday is coming up and Eren and Levi want to do something special for their son.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! So this is the last chapter to my fic and I'm pretty sad since it's been such a long road but I'm very proud that it's done! Please check out my other fics too!

“You ready go to Nico?” Eren asks as he finishes packing his bag.

Nico quickly puts on his shoes and nods “Yes, let's go.” Eren smiles contently and takes Nico’s small hand as he leads him out of the house.

“Have fun!” Levi calls from the couch as the two of them leave. Eren helps Nico into the car seat before getting inside himself. He drives to the playground and parks near it.

Eren gets out of the car and leads Nico to the front gate. The child smiles as he looks around curiously, trying to decide what he wants to do first. He spots the swings and runs toward them excitedly, Eren following him.

Nico sits down on one of the swings and holds onto the two chains holding him up. He looks up at Eren and smiles “Push me Dada?”

Eren chuckles and sets down his bag before he moves behind Nico. He takes a hold of the seat and moves back, pulling Nico higher and higher. As Eren lets go he pushes the seat and Nico squeals happily as he swings forward. As he comes back toward Eren he gently grips the seat and pushes him again. Eren shows Nico how he should swing his legs and eventually he can keep swinging without his help.

Nico looks around the playground as he swings and moves onto the slide. Eren watches him cautiously as he climbs up the ladder and slides down, making sure he doesn’t fall. They make their way around the playground and Nico tries out every thing. 

By lunchtime the playground starts to get crowded and Eren can tell Nico feels uneasy around this many people so he brings them home. He buckles Nico into the car seat and gets inside himself. Eren turns on the radio and chuckles when he looks up into the rearview mirror to see Nico dancing around to the music, happily moving his legs and arms. Eren smiles and turns the music a bit louder.

Eren helps Nico out of the car and sets him down on the ground. The boy takes his hand as they walk up to the front door and Eren opens it.

Nico frowns when he sees all the lights are off “Why is it so dar-” he doesn’t get the chance to finish his sentence before all the lights suddenly turn on and half a dozen people jump up from behind the couch and the counter.

“Surprise!” they all yell in unison. Nico gasps sharply and jolts, not sure as to what is going on. He only recognizes Levi, Petra and Hanji, whose come over a few times but he doesn’t know. 

Eren smiles and ruffles Nico’s hair “Happy Birthday Kiddo.”

Nico furrows his brow “This is for me?” he asks as he touches his chest. Eren nods a bit and looks up to see Levi gesturing for them to come closer. Eren leads Nico to the table and helps him up onto the chair. Levi dims the lights again while Armin lights the candles on the cake quickly. Levi picks up the cake and slowly brings it over to Nico as everyone starts singing happy birthday. 

Nico watches with wide eyes as Levi sets the cake down in front of him. He stares at the six blue candles and the frosting on the cake that spells out ‘Happy 6th Birthday Nico!’ Nico sniffles and feels a few tears roll down his cheeks as the song comes to an end. He’s not sure what to do until Eren whispers “Blow out the candles and make a wish.”

Nico smiles and nods quickly before he leans forward and blows weakly, taking a few tries to blow out the candles. Once they’re out everyone cheers happily and claps. Nico grins and wipes his face while Levi starts cutting the cake. He puts the first piece on a paper plate and hands it to Nico along with a fork. 

Nico eats the cake contently while everyone gets their share as well. He looks up and observes the other guests curiously. There’s Hanji with a nervous looking, blonde man who she calls Mobilt a few times. He also sees Petra with the man he assumes is her husband and their child who looks to be around ten. 

The moment Nico is done with his cake everyone starts giving them the presents they got for him. Nico struggles to hold back tears as he opens the gifts, most of them being toys, books and clothing. He thanks everyone after opening the gift and makes sure not to rip the wrapping paper, carefully peeling away the tape as he always does.

Eren brings Nico to the living room area and lets him play with his new toys as the adults talk to each other. Everyone takes the time to go up to Nico as he plays and say Happy Birthday to him. Nico zones out for the rest of the party and is occupied with his gifts. He’s never been very social and gets tired quickly with being around so many people. 

Before Nico knows it most people have left and Eren and Levi are cleaning up the dining table. Once they’re done they walk over to him and sit down on the floor with him.

Levi smiles and sighs contently “Did you like your party?”

Nico nods quickly “Yes, it was very nice. Thank you” he says as he scoots over to him and hugs him. 

Levi smiles and pets his hair gently “I’m glad you liked it Nico. We really love you and we want you to be happy.”

“I love you too Papa” he mutters against his chest.

Levi pulls back slightly so he can look down at Nico “Dada and I wanted to ask you something honey” he says as he glances at Eren “Usually at your age kids start to go to school and we were wondering if you feel you’re ready for that.”

Nico’s face lights up at the mention of school and he gasps “Yes! I want to go to school! Just like the kids in the books!” he exclaims

Eren grins and kisses his forehead “Well we already have everything set up for you. You’ll start in September.”

Nico giggles excitedly and moves to hug Eren “I can’t wait Dada.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a kudos if you enjoyed it and comment too if you want!


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